Energy Ministry responds to Maori call

Tu Tangata, Issue 29, 1 April 1986, Page 42

Energy Ministry responds to Maori call

Rex Webb of Wilkins and Davies M.C.E. the joint venture building the 105-metre high natural draught cooling tower, the first such structure in New Zealand which, equivalent to an office block 30 storeys high, will dominate the surrounding countryside. Rex is holding a 100:1 scale balsa wood model of the tower, which will sit in the large circular excavation in the background. As its name implies, the tower will process the station's circulating cooling water, instead of it being discharged into the Waikato River.

Mechanical superintendent Dolf Vlug has been on the Ohaaki job since its inception and expects to see it through to its completion. His will be the task of superintending the installation of Ohaaki's turbines and other mechanical plant. Dolf arrived in New Zealand from Holland in 1952 after spending the greater part of the war years in the Dutch underground followed by four years in Indonesia and later as an engineer with the Dutch merchant navy. He joined the Electricity Division in 1955 as a fitter on the Whakamaru hydro station on the Waikato River. Ohaaki is the ninth power project he has worked on, the last being the 1000 megawatt thermal station at Huntly. Dolf is standing with thecovers of the station's intermediate pressure turbines.

The Ministry of Energy is working with Maori people of the Waikato to plan best use of land and water resources in the region. This follows the construction of the Huntly Power Station in recent years and Maori dissatisfaction with its effect on the community. The Ministry of Energy had its first meeting with the Maori community at Waahi Marae, Huntly in 1983. At this hui the need for a maori perspective on the development of coal-fired power stations in the Waikato was accepted and a report was commissioned. After a series of meetings between ministry officials and tribal representatives, it became obvious that not only would the brief have to be expanded, but also a much larger research team would have to be involved to meet the agreed deadline. This team was assembled from four sources: The Maori community, staff of the Waikato Museum of Art and His-

tory, technical consultants from the private sector and staff from the Centre for Maori Studies and Research at the University of Waikato. The brief for the study was firstly to outline the reasons for a Maori (people) perspective and secondly the justification for a Tainui (tribal) perspective. Issues to be covered included land, education, housing, employment, land confiscation (raupatu), the Maori King movement (Kiingitanga), the Waikato River and its importance to the Tainui people (te awa o Waikato) and tribal unity (kotahitanga). The resulting report concluded with 11 recommendations on these issues, and these were discussed at another hui, held last year at the Waahi Marae. The purpose of the hui was to explore ways of incorporating Maori views into the energy development process. Besides several Tainui elders and local authority people, the hui was also attended by State Coal Mines, and representatives of the Ministry of Energy and

11 other Government Departments. As a result, State Coal Mines agreed to a number of proposals: • that the Tainui Trust Board be accepted as the first point of contact between the Ministry of Energy and the Maori people of the region;

• that the Tainui Trust Board be accepted as a suitable point for the distribution of amenities grant money. (Under Section 110 of the Coal Mines Act 1979 up to 0.5 percent of the capital cost of a project is to be allocated for the provision of amenities);

• that a local kaumatua be appointed in each area where development is proposed or undertaken in order that on-site consultancy concerning cultural and spiritual matters can be given;

• that Ministry of Energy staff who will work on or be associated with energy developments within the Tainui area should attend regular maraebased seminars to raise their level of awareness of Maori (and particularly Tainui) history, current concerns and development strategy;

• that a Maori-based team to monitor developments as they affected Tainui people be established. The team would function over a period of 10 years, with

a major review and report to be prepared for each of two five-year periods.

The need for the development of an education and training package for Maori youth, the construction of maraebased housing, and the need for the development of proper procedures for the distribution of amenities grants were all earmarked for further action.

The development of the education package is already underway and is being put together by State Coal Mines training and planning staff in conjunction with representatives of the Departments of Education, Labour and Maori Affairs. This action was prompted by the mutual need of the area’s Maori people and the Ministry of Energy and State Coal Mines.

Of primary concern to the Tainui Trust Board was the fact that because the education system was not catering for their needs, most of the region’s young Maori people were leaving school without the qualifications to enable them to progress beyond unskilled levels of employment and they were consequently disadvantaged.

The Ministry of Energy, and more particularly, State Coal Mines, were also concerned because of State Coal Mine’s urgent need for more trades and

other skilled staff at Huntly. The result of this mutual need will see the establishment of a Ministry of Energy training scheme based at the Waahi marae. It will aim to improve the educational attainments and vocational opportunities of those taking part, and thus provide a pool of skilled Maori people with assured employment.

An additional possibility being investigated by State Coal Mines is to use the existing facilities at the Waikato Technical Institute for its own training purposes.

Although the final details of the scheme have yet to be worked out, it’s intended that Maori youth would undertake the first two stages of the New Zealand Certificate of Engineering [NZCE), which would bring them up to University Entrance level. State Coal Mines General Manager, Dr Roger Blakeley, says a positive start has been made.

“However, more work needs to be done. Only by working together and sitting down to discuss and negotiate actual and potential conflict areas, can diverse groups within a society move towards these goals which have the widest benefit for all.”